Sponge-holding apparatus



April 21, 1925. 1,534,300

F. N. C(\DLTRANE SPONGE HOLDING APPARATUS Filed March 13, 1924 Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

v r ;1,534,300 PATENT OFFICE.

FERMOR N. COLTRANE, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

SPONGE-HOLDING APPARATUS.

Application filed, March 13, 1924. Serial No. 698,938.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FnRMoa N. CoL'rRA E,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and States of California, have invented a certain I new and useful Sponge-Holding 'Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to a sponge holding apparatus by which water or a cleanlng fluid may be forced through a sponge when :using the same for cleaning purposes, and

the objects of my invention are: first, to provide an apparatus of this class for securely holding a sponge or similar artlcle 'while using the same for washing vehicles and the like, and by which water may be forced through thesponge or other similar article as desired; second, to provide an apparatus of this class in which the nozzle member,at the open end of which is adapted to be positioned the sponge, is provided with a plurality of sponge retaining members of flat construction, which are pivotally connected at the normally rear end of the nozzle member; third, to provide an apparatus of this class which is provided atits nozzle end with a plurality of wide, flexible, sponge retaining members for securely positioning the sponge atthe open nozzle end of the apparatus, which retaining members, by reason of their construction, are.

not likely to tear or otherwise damage the sponge or other similar cleaning member adapted to be secured to the apparatus; fourth, to provide a long, tubular holder which'is bent at an obtuse angle near its end, to the end of which a sponge holding means or nozzle may be secured, whereby remote corners or recesses, ordinarily unaccessible with a hose or other cleaning ,means, may be readily reached and cleaned by means of my apparatus; fifth, to provide a long, rigid holder of this class which may be easily held in the hand and readily secured at the end of a conventional water hose; sixth, to provide as a whole a novelly constructed apparatus of this class, and seventh, to provide such an apparatus which is nirticularly simple and economical of construction; durable, efficient, easy to manipulate, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as -will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and-= portions, as. will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth \mtheappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters-of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side 'viewof my sponge holding apparatus secured at its one end'to a'hose, and showing'a sponge, representedby outline, secured to the opposlte end thereof, certain partsand portions of the apparatus being broken away and in section to facilitate the illustration, and one of the sponge retaining members being shown by dotted lines in a certain shifted position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudim1 sectional view thereof with the section taken through the middle of the sponge holding end of myapparatus, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken through 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference refer .to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings. I

The tubular holder 1, washers 2 and 3, nozzle member 4,-sponge retaining members 5, and'the retaining member positioning ring 6, constitute the principal parts and portions of my sponge holding apparatus.

The tubular holder 1 is of rigid construction and of considerable length so that the sponge or other similar member attached to the one end thereof may be readily extend-- ed to remote corners or places to be cleaned. The holder is provided at its opposite end with an enlarged handle portion 1, knurled on its outside, the end of which is provided with an internally threaded portion 1", which is adapted to be screwed onto the one end of a water hose H, a rubber washer 2 being positioned in the threaded recess against the end of the hose to provide a water-tight joint. The other end of the tubular holder 1, opposite the enlarged handle portion 1 is bent at'an obtuse angle with the main portionof the holder and is provided at the outer end of said bent portion with an enlarged, externally threaded portion 1 on which is adapted to be screwed an enlarged, internally threaded portion. 4 at the one end of the nozzle member 4. A rubber washer 3 is also positioned in the enlarged recess of the nozzle 'member 4 against the end 1 of the tubular holder 1 to provide a water-tight joint between said tion I.

members. The other or outer end 43 of the nozzle member 4, against which the sponge. S is positioned, is considerably enlarged so as to provide a good seat for the sponge. At the enlarged, backwardly extended end of the nozzle member 4 is provided an annular, outwardly extending flange 4 on which are pivotally mounted a plurality of substantially wide, flexible sponge retaining members 5, \VlllCll bear, 1n part, against said enlarged portion of the nozzle member. The opposite ends of the members 5 are provided with hook portion which extend around and forwardly of the enlarged portions 4 ot' the nozzle memher 4, the ends of the hook portions 5 being positioned in close proximity to a shoulder 4? at the front side of the enlarged por- Intermediate the ends of the retaining members 5 are provided ofl'set pori tions 5",-which are adapted to retain the ring 6 in position around and intermediate the ends of the members 5 for yieldably clamping the' sponge between the hook portions 5 and the shoulder .4 of the nozzle member. The nozzle member 4 is provided with a central passage P which is slightly reduced at its outer end.

It will be noted that in order to remove the sponge from the nozzle member, the re taining members 5 are slightly contracted and the ring 6 is shifted backwardly, ermitting the retaining members 5 to be shifted outwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It is obvious from this construction, as illustrated in the drawings and disclosed in the foregoing specification, that there is provided a sponge holding apparatus as aimed at and set forth in the objects of the invention, and though I have shown and described a particular construct-ion, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1 In a sponge holding apparatus, a'long rigid tubular handle member, a nozzle member provided with an enlarged outer discharge end and detachably secured to one end of said handle, a plurality of flexible retaining members, each having one of its ends mounted at the inner end of said nozzle member and provided at their opposite ends with hook'portions adapted to extend'par-.

tially over the enlarged outer end of said nozzle member and a clamping ring slidably positioned around said retaining members and engaging the outer surfaces only of said members for yieldably drawing the same into sponge clamping position.

2. In a sponge holding apparatus, a long rigid tubular handle member, a nozzle member provided with an enlarged discharge end detachably secured to one end of said handle, a plurality of flexible retaining members, each having one of its ends mounted at the inner end of said nozzle member and provided at their opposite ends with hook portions adapted to extend over the enlarged portions of said nozzle member and intermediate their ends with offset portions and a clamping ring member slidably positioned around said retaining merbers and engaging the outer surfaces only of said members for yieldably drawing the same into sponge clamping position.

3. In a sponge holding apparatus, a nozzle member provided at its one end with an enlarged, internally threaded portion and provided at its opposite end 'with another enlarged portion having a shoulder at its front side, a plurality of wide flexible sponge retaining members pivotally mounted at their one ends at the enlarged, internally threaded portion of said nozzle member and provided at their opposite ends with hook portions adapted to extend over the enlarged portion at the normally front end of said nozzle member and clamp a portion of the sponge adapted to be secured thereto between the ends of said hook portions and the shoulder of said nozzle member, said retaining members being also provided with offset portions intermediate their ends, and a contracting ring adapted to be positioned around said retaining members and heretained around the same and in position relatively thereto by means of the otl'set portions in said retaining members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of February, 1924.

FERMOR N. COLTRAN .IQ. 

